LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3012, 24 February 1917, Page 13

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

"Britain's Awakenlns." In "Britain's Awakening" (Palmer, Newbould and Co.), Mr. A. 0. RichardBoh emphasises the urgent need for vigorous action to combat the German schemes to secure the world's commercial strongholds, to flood them with cheap products of Hun manufacture and by a widespread movement, to be pressed forward with energy and resolution, to capture the oyerseas trade. The author pleads for the immediate organisation of Britain's : . industrial power and the adoption of some definite plan that will prepare the way-for a new order of things. Mr.. Richardson contends that Germany is for something more than territorial gains in Fiance, Belgium,' Poland, aiid the Balkans."- 'She is making war, as Mr. Hughes told the Associated Chambers of Commerce, for "the economic domination of the earth." The author has evidently small hope that any immediate good will come out of the Paris Conference, which, oamo to the conclusion that, the possibility of a German dumping sohe'me .may have to" be considered. .-: . 'It'is'clear,- 'says Mr. Richardson, that if peace returned to-morrow it would find Britain'unready, without definite purpose or policy, and tho muddle which would inevitably ensure, consequent on the return to civil life of, millions of men now doing war work, would create chaos aiid confusionj; which is precisely what Germany is counting, on, what, above all things, 6he most earnestly ■ desires—a Britain unprepared to take the industrial field, badly equipped, poorly organised, unable to put into operation defensive and effective (measures of sufficient strength to checkmate the Teutonic designs. The first part of Mr. Richardson's book is devoted to a consideration of the present position and of the best means to be adopted wherewith, after the war, new conditions may- be coped with. Much that he has said on the necessity for a oloser and more sympathetic co-operation between Capital and Labour, for better technical education, for the settlement of the land by an army of small occupiers and intense cultivators, may have been said before, but the evident sincerity, the manifest earnestness of tho author lend special interest to his treatment of these subjects. The second part of the book consists of a number of brief essays on "Perseverance," "Adversity," "Character," "Thoroughness," and similar subjects, the author recalling by his style the once very popular writings in tho same vein of the late Dr. Samuel Smiles. The chief defect of Mr. Richardson's book lies in the fact that the author deals too much with generalities and fails to set forth any practical methods by which his well-meaning and truly patriotic' views may be carried into effect. Still there is much in his book which makes for useful thought, and the numerous quotations from the writings and speeches of world-famous statesmen and social philosophers are often admirably apropos and entertaining. (N.Z. price 4s. 6d.) A Princess's Gift Book. An exceptionally interesting gift book is "The Princess Marie-Jose's Children's Book" (Casscll and Co.; por AVhitcombo and Tombs), tho. profits from which are to be devoted to the Vestiairo Mario-Joso, a society fo rproviding milk, food, and clothes for tho babies behind the firing lino in Flanders. The society is named after, and is under tho special patronago of, tho Princess Marie-Joso of Belgium, the Honorary President in England being the Duchess of Norfolk. Tho editor of the book, Mrs. Hadcn Guest, has been singularly successful in securing contributions from leading authors and artists. Amongst .the former are Emile

Cammaerts, Austin Dobson, John Galsworthy, Walter de la Mare, Mrs. Stewart Erskine, Israel Zangwill, AV. Pott Ridgo, Violet Hunt, and Mrs. W. K. Clifford. Tho illustrations, many of which are in colour, are admirably suited to juvenile- tastes. Amongst tho artists represented are Lawson Wood, Edmund Dulac, Byam Shaw, Frank Reynolds, Will Owon, Harry Rountreo, John Lavery, Daphne Allen, W. Leo Hankey, tho late Chaclos Sainton, and the now world-famous Raemaekers. Mr. H. G. Wells appears in tho dual role of artist and-author, contributing a vory humorous skit on the Zeppelins, with some crude but very funny pen and ink sketches. Mr. John Hassall contributes a strikingly effective cover design, representing three Belgian children carrying their national flag. A better present for children could not be found, and adults will, I venture to say, find as much pleasure in tho book as the youngsters. Stray Leaves. Despite tho existenco of a French Club in Wellington, and the greatly increased interest which is being taken, or supposed to be taken, in the study of tho French language and literature in the' Dominion, some beautifully-bound French classics were positively "slaughtered" at a recent Wellington book sale. The sixteen volumes of Sainte Beuvo's "Causerics du Lundi," lor instance, brought only nineteen shillings, yet they wore quite now — witli many of tho volumes unopened, in faote-and had been beautifully, bound in half-morocco. At' 3s. each unbound, with, say, 4s. 6d. for the binding, they must have cost their original owner 7s. Gd. a volume. Other bargains secured by a judicious, and lucky, buyor were three volumes of Anatolo France, also quite new and bound in half-morocco gilt, at 2s. 3d. each, and a splendidlybound copy of Do Vigny's fino romanco, Cinq Mars," which must have co3t at least 15s. to bind, and which was knooked down for 3s. Some of tho New Zoaland books at tho same sale wont very cheaply, but in most cases they were in poor condition. I hear it is by no means unlikely that uetorc very long tlio prico of tho ordinary three and sixpenny novel may be raised to lour shillings, it so, Nov. Ziealand novel buyers slioulC not grumble. For years they have been getting tho avorago English novel a shilling cheaper than it could be bought for in London. Until recently practically every novel was priced (nominally} in England at (is. A discount of 25 per cent., however, almost universally allowed, brought the price 4s. tkl. Tneße very saino books are sold in New Zealand and Australia in colonial editions at 3s. 6d. net. In most cases the paper and binding are exactly the same in the English edition. It is true that a large proportion of novels are not worth oven fourpence a. volume, but that. does not affect the comparison of" English and Now Zealand- prices. Latterly some English publishers have been issuing their novels at ss. net., and no discount is given by the retailers, yet, in many cases, these same novels, in colonial editions, have been selling hero at 3s. 6d. The lucky New Zealander also gets his American novels at a roduced price. Most American novels are sold in the States at one dollar 25 cents or one dollar 50 cents net (that is, sb. or 65.), no discount being allowed. But in order to compete with the English novel they are "dumped" out here at prices which allow of their being sold at 3s. 6d. In proportion to its population New Zealand is a great buyer of novels. In England a very largo class of readers rarely buy books, but subscribe to the great circulating libraries, such as Mudie's,'"Smith's, Boots's, or "The Times" Book Club. Here people not only read novels, but buy them.